written by Sam Coulson
Working a job in any capacity can be difficult, but add in a full class schedule and a job gets more challenging. Each year the Director’s Awards at JMU are awarded to outstanding student employees working in University Unions. These outstanding student employees have not only found a balance between their work and their studies, but have gone above and beyond to complete their job responsibilities. This year we honor three University Unions employees whose passion for what they do is shown through their impeccable work performance.
Nina Schenk, a senior biological anthropology major, is one of the student employees being honored. Nina serves as the Marketing Director at Dux Leadership Center. In her role, Nina completes an array of tasks, such as designing different forms of media, organizing multimedia marketing campaigns, or inspiring her fellow employees at Dux to participate in various marketing campaigns. In everything she does, Nina shows distinct enthusiasm, creativity, and diligence. Outside of Dux, Nina works as the Hall Director in Ashby Hall while also serving as an officer and member of the Madisonians Show Choir.
“Nina simply stepped up and took charge of the marketing efforts,” said Dux Associate Director for Leadership Michael McCleve. “She goes out of her way to make DLC look good.”
Tyler Owens is another student being honored. Tyler, a senior media arts and design major, works as the Lead Media Specialist for Madison Union Event Services. Though he began working on Event Service’s Projection Team, Tyler was a key part in the starting of a new staff that managed the event spaces of Grafton-Stovall theater, Taylor Down Under, and Memorial Auditorium. With this team’s inception, Tyler thoroughly and effectively trained this new staff to serve as best as possible, covering the technical skills needed to operate the venues. When Tyler is not working at Event Services, you may find him in the University Program Board office where he serves as Vice President of Marketing.
According to Event Services Coordinator Sonya Abbott, “[Tyler] has been a delight to have in a leadership role at Madison Union Event Services and we are grateful for his incredible hard work and dedication.”
The final honoree is Malique Middleton. Malique serves the Dux Leadership Center as the Student Assistant to the Coordinator. In his position, this sophomore biology major led efforts to organize work content and the physical office space. Malique is deliberate about all of his actions and maintains a distinct professionalism, striving to always complete the highest quality work possible. Malique’s strong humility helps him to focus not on himself, but on the success of the office altogether. Malique is a model student employee who is passionate about helping others to succeed.
On Malique’s contributions, Dux Coordinator for Leader Development Services Carson Lonett says, “He has welcomed and brought so many students into our center,” going on to boast that Malique “greets them with a warm smile and makes sure they know they are valued with the first moments of conversation.”
These students are each perfect examples of what a committed employee looks like. They’ve gone above and beyond in each of their positions and will continue to do great work in the future. The awards were presented to the deserving students at the University Unions Student Employee Appreciation Banquet. These students have earned these awards through their persistence, professionalism, and dedication. Both JMU and University Unions are lucky to have each of them.